2009 Local recruits

Thanks to Penn State/UP Fan for the heads up on the Oregon State Cup U18 semi-final match that featured our three local 2009 recruits today.

I headed out to THPR and caught most of their match. Having watched some of the state high school soccer championship matches, I recognized three players from state champ Lincoln (our Kendall, plus Caroline Kruez & Scout Libke) and Courtney Verloo from Tualatin. The first thing I did was step up to the coach and ask him to point out Taylor Brooke & Elinor Priest.

I left about halfway thru the 2nd half when it was about 5-0. The final score was 8-1.

Elinor started both halves and played forward. She is a work-in-progress. She reminds me a bit of Halley Kreminski. She’s big & fast, and has the physical equipment, but needs some refinement.

Taylor started both halves and impressed me. She is small and fast, a real hustler, and an effective play-maker. She played midfield and made things happen. I think she’ll earn some playing time this fall.

Kendall played the entire 1st half and subbed in the 2nd half. She displayed the best arsenal of all-around skills on the field. She worked hard on both sides of the ball and was a very effective ball-handler. She played some time in midfield, others at forward. Worked very hard to get to the ball and, once she had the ball, kept it away from the defenders.

Verloo did not start, but for the limited time she was on the field, at forward, she pretty much had her way with the ball. She was the most effective forward on the field. And when both she & Kendall were at forward, they played very well together & completely dominated the opponents. Impressive - the one that got away!

The championship game for this team will be at noon next Sat against the Lake Oswego team.

Thanks for the tip! Very enticing! I think I shall try to catch the championship game this Sat and take a preview. I've had a chance to watch Kendall and Sarah Bridges (2010 Jesuit Recruit) play against each other in last seasons HS tournament. I've seen Verloo play also...but not in a meaningful game and not against strong opposition. Should be a fun to get a peek at the 2009 class.

Stanford has certainly up the ante in the Pac10. I would be surprised if they didn't win their conference outright. UCLA and USC has to be wary of this team up in NorCal. With the last couple of classes, they've built themselves a very robust roster. They have Noyola and now Verloo. Add U23 members...O'hara and Press...who made a good impression when I saw them play...wow! They're a team to watch out for sure.

GO PILOTS!!!

Stanford is going down.

Yah...I'd like to get another shot at Stanford because they knock us out of last year's tournament 1-0. It's interesting to contemplate though how a rematch would go...with Cloee and the 3 U20 Amigas added. I think that tips things in our favor. But still, their strikers speed is threatening.

GO PILOTS!!!

We can take them though when we play on a neutral field or at home at full strength.

Quite the upset at the Oregon State Cup's U18 Championship game. Lake Oswego won 1-0 over FC Portland. Saw Kendall and Courtney. I "heard" Taylor's name called out a few times by teammates but not really sure if it was her. I also tried to ID Elinor but not certain the player I focused on was her.

FC Portland dominated possession and had LO playing defense most of the match. But, got to give LO credit, they kept FC Portland at bay. Not too many chances. Both teams were pretty poised. I think everybody there thought it would only be a matter of time. But as the last 5 minutes ticked off....a sense of urgency began to build for FC Portland. Loads of talent on FC Portland...but LO held on! There were a lot of dumbfounded players on that team. Shocked to say the least. But that's soccer, eh? You never know what you gonna get??... Or is that a box of chocolates??

Oh BTW...we're gonna like Kendall a lot!

GO PILOTS!!!

Taylor Brooke is #3 on FC Portland and played most, if not all, of the game at an outside mid/back position. I'm not sure how much Elinor played...I forgot to look for her, but I don't think it was much.

Despite BOTH of these teams going to Regionals (Oregon has a "wild card" entry to the Regional Championships, so both teams will get to go), this was a game no one wanted to lose. In the champions bracket? Montana, New Mexico and Cal-North, with the formers not exactly known as soccer hotbeds. In the Wild Card (runner's up) bracket? TWO entries from the Far West Regional League (dominated by Cal South teams) and Colorado. It's going to be a brutal road to the quarterfinals for the FC Portland kids, but if anyone can pull it off, they can.

Elinor is #5 and played relatively few minutes in the final—basically just when Verloo was benched to catch her breath, as I remember it.